


Pig Latin

by Aushina



Series: The Zodiac Spell [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Mss Bustier is mentioned in passing, Slight spoilers for Frightingale, Slight spoilers for The Collector, Slight spoliers for Mr. Pigeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 16:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16329404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aushina/pseuds/Aushina
Summary: Clara Nightingale is throwing a party and extends an invitation to Gabriel and his son. Adrien is allowed a plus one, but Gabriel doesn't allow him to invite Nino. Meanwhile, Hawkmoth has something new and sinister cooking.





	1. The Calm Before the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> This series, of which this is the first story, was inspired by Fruits Basket. My friend, Rox, beta read this for me. Thank you Rox!

The gentle sounds of Clair de Lune ease out of Adrien's phone as he scrolls through the Ladyblog. The occasional mistake or falter can be heard as it's a recording of the last time he practiced the song. It'd be suspicious if the Gorilla or his dad heard a perfect version of the song when he had been nowhere near perfect a few days ago. Adrien scans over the newest post added by Alya earlier that day--not about Ladybug, surprisingly, but ladybugs. It had started earlier that year with the Valentine's Day post. Every now and then, when there hadn't been anything new added in awhile, the young reporter would look up ladybug and black cat lore to tide over the readers. According to Alya, in China ladybugs are believed to herald the arrival of a person's true love.

  
Adrien spins his chair to the side, gazing sightlessly at the wall. A harbinger couldn't be the same thing it foretells, can it? He shakes his head in annoyance. Every bit of ladybug mythology doesn't apply to Ladybug. If every legend about black cats affected Cat Noir he'd be a walking paradox: black cats being considered symbols of both good and bad luck in different countries.

  
The young model's thoughts are broken by a firm knock on the door. He bolts to his feet, scrambling toward the piano and his phone. "C-come in!" he calls as he slides onto the bench, his phone silenced. The sound of the door opening is drowned out by the loud beating of his heart. To his surprise, Gabriel Agreste walks in.  
"Clara Nightingale invited us to a party this summer. You are allowed a plus one. I hope you choose wisely."

  
Gabriel is already making his way out the door when Adrien finds himself able to respond. "Would it be alright if I invited Nino?"

  
His father looks back over his shoulder, his answer already plain on his face. "You know I disapprove of your friendship with that boy."

  
Adrien sighs and slumps back against the piano. A quiet cord plays from the keys he accidently pressed. "Yes, Father."

  
The fashion designer watches his son a moment longer before leaving. The door shuts silently behind him.

 

 

The next morning at school Marinette manages to arrive with the rest of the class. She slides into her seat next to Alya and they start talking about a new treat her parents are offering at the bakery.

  
"You've got to bring some tomorrow," Alya insists. "I'm sure Adrien would appreciate it." She smirks as the mere mention of golden boy's name causes Marinette to squeak and flush a tomato-y red. "I certainly will," she adds.

  
Marinette laughs, causing her to miss the boy in question's arrival.

  
"Good morning, Alya. 'Morning, Marinette."

  
The black haired girl chokes on her laughter in surprise. Adrien leans over Marinette, wanting to help but unsure what to do. Alya hides her grin behind her hand. "Don't worry about her, Adrien. She'll be fine."

  
Still looking unconvinced, Adrien takes his seat next to Nino. Marinette manages to catch her breath before long.

  
"Are you okay?" he wonders.

  
"Fine! I-I mean you're fine! What! I mean I'm fine!" Marinette groans in defeat and hides her face.

  
Adrien smiles through his confusion.

  
"Oh, hey! I totally forgot!" Alya's cry shocks all of her friends and even some of the other students. The girl turns to Marinette, her hands flapping eagerly. "Girl, I got invited to a party this summer being thrown by Clara. Nightingale."

  
"Wow, really?" Marinette questions. "That's so cool! Why did she invite you though?"

  
"Because of the Ladyblog," she answers proudly. "You know how much of a fan she is."

  
Marinette nods as she thinks back to the music video she and the rest of the class had been it. That was a close call.

  
Adrien pipes up from the seat below. "My dad and I actually got invited to."

  
"You two are so lucky," Marinette moans. "I wish I could go."

  
"I got ya, girl," Alya assures her. "I've can bring a guest."

  
"What? You're just going to leave me out?" Nino protests.

  
Alya waves her hand at Adrien. "I'm sure pretty boy here can bring someone too."

  
Adrien's excited expression drops. "I already asked Father about that. He won't let me bring Nino."

  
Both Nino and Marinette frown in response to Adrien's statement. Alya, however, looks thoughtfully at the three of her friends. "I think I know what we can do." The others look at her curiously. "Nino, you'll be my date to Clara's party. Adrien, you can take Marinette." Surprised noises emanate from Alya's friends. "You father would be alright with you taking Marinette, right?" she asks Adrien. "He seemed to approve of her at the hat competition."

  
Adrien nods, still a little dazed by the reporter's snap thinking. "That's true."

  
"Than it'll be fine."

  
Before anyone can say anything else, Miss Bustier enters the room to start class.

 

 

In another classroom, the results of the last English test are being passed back. A boy with mahogany brown hair sits with his eyes squeezed shut in a row near the back. His friend next to him watches the boy with sympathetically.

  
"I'm sure it'll be fine," the friend assures the boy. "You studied really hard for this test."

  
"I studied hard for the last one too," the boy argues. "And I still failed."

  
Whatever reassurance the friend is about to say is cut off as the papers are passed up to their row. The friend takes their paper and their friends before handing the pile back.

  
"What did I make?" the boy wonders after a moment.

  
The friend shakes his head. "Not good." The boy cracks open his eyes to look at the paper. A look of despair falls over him. "I'm sorry Évrard."

  
"My parents are going to kill me," Évrard moans.


	2. Rise of Pig Latin

Alya joins Marinette at her house after school, both swiping plenty of cream horns, the new treat Marinette had mentioned that morning, on their way up to her room. Marinette manages to slip Tikki one while Alya isn't looking. They work on homework for an hour or so before calling it quits and talking excitedly about the party.

  
"Are you gonna make your own dress?" Alya asks.

  
"Yeah. I have plenty of time before the party and hopefully I'll get the chance to show it off to a few fashion designers."

  
"And Adrien," the reporter teases.

  
Marinette blushes a bright shade of red in response. A loud gasp causes her to quickly pale, however. "What's wrong?"

  
"Can you make me a dress too?"

  
It takes Marinette a moment to answer. Finally, she doubles over laughing. "I'll see what I can do." The smaller girl straightens up, gasping for breath. "I can take your measurements while you're here."

 

 

The door creaks shut behind Évrard as he slips into his house. He braces himself before calling out. "Mom? Dad? You home?"

  
"In the kitchen," a voice calls from the next room over.

  
"Doing laundry!" comes a voice from farther away.

  
Footsteps coming from the kitchen signal Évrard's father approaching. "Did you get the results for your English test back today."

  
Évrard swallows hard and nods. Shakily, he hands over the paper with the failing grade plastered right at the top. His father frowns as he takes in the results. Sighing, he turns to his son. "I thought you said you were going to do better this time."

  
Évrard blinks back tears at the disappointment in his father's eyes. "I tried. I really did. But-but English is just really hard for me. I don't know why. You've seen my grades in other classes. I'm not just slacking off. It-it just doesn't click like the other subjects do."

  
"That's not an excuse," his father intones sternly. "If you had truly been studying hard you would have passed." Évrard's father folds the paper to show his mother later. "Now, go to your room and study until I finish dinner."

  
Évrard nods numbly. It isn't until he's safely in his room that the boy realizes that hot tears are streaming down his face. He shoulders start to shake as he slides down his door to the floor. Quiet sobs wrack his body as wave after wave of hopelessness crash over him.

  
Across Paris, metallic shutters pull open to reveal a medium sized circular room filled with ethereal white butterflies and a man in purple.

  
"The pain of trying your best only to fail over and over again," Hawkmoth croons. "I know it well. But don't worry, I'll help you spread your struggle." The villain holds his hand out for a butterfly which he quickly infuses with dark power. "Go my little akuma! And evilize him!" He twirls his staff dramatically as the glowing purple insect makes its way toward its target.

  
The akuma finds Évrard quickly, bonding to a pen lying on his desk. Wiping his tears away, the boy climbs to his feet and makes his way to the desk. His hand clasps around the pen.

  
"Pig Latin," a dark voice sounds in his head. "You struggle to understand English, so I give you the power to make others struggle to understand anyone. The only thing I want in return are Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses."

  
"Yes, Hawkmoth." At his agreement, dark energy envelopes Évrard.

 

 

The sky is dark outside as Marinette studies the sketchbook in front of her. Alya had gone home a couple of hours ago to help her mom take care of her sisters, leaving Marinette to think over the designs of their dresses. So far she has the shape of them, but not the pattern on the fabric. Alya's is sleeveless with a knee-length skirt, no back, and a short turtleneck. Marinette's is similar in that it's also sleeveless with a knee-length skirt, but her dress doesn't have a collar and her shoulders and back are covered.  
She's just about to call it a night when panicked screams reach her ears from the street below. Marinette pauses mid-stretch, her gaze turned toward the window. Tikki flies up from where she had been watching her Chosen work looking equally stunned.

  
"I guess it's time for Ladybug," Marinette comments.

  
"That seems to be the case," Tikki agrees.

  
Jumping to her feet, the girl turns to the kwami with a grin. "Tikki, spots on!"

 

 

Adrien is actually practicing the piano when he hears the screaming. He pauses between notes, his fingers hovering over the keys as he verifies what the sounds. A moment later, he's pushes himself off of the piano bench.

  
"Plagg! Where'd you fly off to?"

  
The little black cat zooms over from where he'd been munching on a wheel of cheese the size of his head. "Let me finish before you go running off this time."

  
"No can do. Plagg, claw's out!"

  
The kwami drops his cheese as he's sucked, screaming, into the Miraculous.


	3. Riptide

Ladybug first sees the newest villain in front of Le Grande Paris as she swings down onto a building across from it. This one is dressed in a dark, charcoal black costume with hair like fringe coming off of it, making the exact form of the person in the suit unclear. Two flaps of something hang forward from the villain's head, though from this distance Ladybug is unsure of what they're meant to be. Where his feet are supposed to be are two split hooves. As Ladybug watches, the villain charges a small group of fleeing people. It looks like he's holding something in his right hand. Ladybug tosses her yo-yo to allow her to swing in and intervene.

  
The spotted heroine lands between the villain and the frightened civilians just as the villain uncaps his pen--the object in his right hand. To her surprise, the small writing instrument grows into a long brown sword. The villain takes advantage of this, rushing toward her with his sword held in one hand. The flaps, she sees now, are supposed to resemble ears.

  
Just before the strange sword strikes Ladybug a dark shape appears in front of her. A loud _clang!_ pulls her out of her daze as Cat Noir's staff blocks the sword's movement.

  
"You alright, Ladybug!" Cat calls back.

  
She smiles. "I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting a sword."

  
The two heroes leap back from the villain, their weapons spinning in preparation for blocking.

  
"So what's up with this guy?" Cat Noir wonders.

  
Ladybug shrugs. "Don't know. He hasn't said anything yet. He just uncapped his pen and it turned into a sword."

  
Cat glances back at her, an oddly excited gleam in his eyes. "You're serious?"

  
Before she can answer the villain attacks again.

  
"Ladybug! Cat Noir! Give me your Miraculous!" he calls as they dodge out of the way.

  
"Not a chance-" Ladybug's quip breaks off. "What's your name?"

  
"My name is Pig Latin!" he rages. "And I will make all of Paris feel my pain!"

  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," drones Cat Noir. "You and every last villain."

  
Pig Latin roars as he charges them. As she and Cat dodge his next few attacks, Ladybug realizes that the villain's fingers are capped with what looks like tiny hooves and his nose it pushed up like an actual pig's.

  
Cat blocks one of Pig Latin's attacks and does some fancy move that causes the sword to fly from the villain's hand. Ladybug races Pig Latin to the weapon, snatching it from the ground and rappelling up a building quickly. Safely away from the villain, Ladybug strikes the roof of the building with the sword. Her ears ring from the sound of the impact and she drops the sword as pain shoots up her arms to her shoulders.

  
"Wha-" Her question is interrupted by the sword vanishing only to reappear in Pig Latin's hand.

  
Cat Noir hurriedly joins Ladybug on the roof. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

  
"No, I'm fine." Ladybug brushes off his worry in her confusion. "I don't get it. His akuma has to be in that sword."

  
Cat Noir's gaze flicks over to the villain, his eyes studying the sword. After a moment his face clears as his comes up with something. "I think I got it." The black clothed superhero turns to Ladybug. "It has to be in pen form."

  
"How are we supposed to do that?"

  
Cat points to the villain. "Look at the grip of the sword. It can be welded one-handed, but there's room for two if the person had a free hand. So why is he only using one?"

  
A look of realization washes over the heroine. "Because the cap is in his left hand!"

  
Cat nods. "Right."

  
"How do you know this?" Ladybug wonders.

  
"I happen to have a vast array of knowledge, my lady," he answer vaguely, a teasing smile on his lips. Ladybug levels a glare on him. "Fine," he sighs. "I play a ton of video games and this sword reminds me of one in a book I read a few years ago."

  
The spotted heroine giggles at his answer. "It's a good thing you know so much about this."

  
Cat rolls his eyes and smirks playfully back at the girl. "Whatever. Let's just roast this pig."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pig Latin's design is based on various Asian swine breeds that are black with floppy ears. There are a surprising amount.


	4. End of Pig Latin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation for Cat Noir's lines at the end of the chapter.

The heroes approach Pig Latin more cautiously now, watching for weaknesses and patterns of behaviour. It soon becomes obvious that, though the villain has been granted the knowledge and strength needed to wield a sword, he does not have the skill. Cat Noir is able to keep him at bay oddly easily, though this isn't the first time Ladybug has noticed Cat's ability to fight with his staff as if it were a sword. That can't be from his transformation. If it were, he wouldn't be using his weapon as a sword but as a stave.

  
Ladybug doesn't have long to dwell on this observation, however. Despite his skill, Cat can only keep Pig Latin at bay for so long. As if to prove her assessment, Pig Latin breaks Cat Noir's guard. His blade swings wildly toward the black clad hero. Cat dodges easily, the edge of the sword just scratching his cheek.

  
Cat Noir jumps back and slaps a hand to the cut. He looks more offended than hurt. Still, Ladybug rushes over to her partner. "Are you okay? How bad did he get you?"

  
"I'myay inefay, ymay adylay. Ityay ustjay ingsstay ayay ittlelay."

  
Ladybug blinks in surprise. It sounds like he's speaking in tongues. She sighs. Or pig-Latin. Hawkmoth's names aren't getting any more creative. Cat Noir is just as stunned. He babbles incoherently as he tries to figure out what's wrong with him. Ladybug holds up her hand to silence him.

  
"Just nod or shake your head. Can you do that?" she asks. He nods. "Can you still fight?" Cat nods again. Ladybug smiles softly at him. Even panicked he's still trusting her.

"Good. Let's defeat this villain and get you back to normal." Cat Noir nods one last time, his expression set and his hands clutching his staff in readiness. He leaps back into the fray.

  
Ladybug tries to wrap the villain with her yo-yo string or to knock the pen cap from her hand, but each time he dodges or deflects her attacks. This does leave him open to Cat Noir, but Pig Latin always makes sure to keep his hand protected from the dark hero. Even ridding him of his weapon does little to help--the sword comes back quickly whenever they manage to disarm him. But... the sword seems to take longer each time.

  
"Keep him busy!" Ladybug yells, falling back as a plan starts to form.

  
Cat Noir nods his assent.

  
Leaping away onto a rooftop of a nearby building, Ladybug tosses her yo-yo into the air calling, "Lucky Charm!"

  
Down flutters a piece of red fabric, black-polka-dotted like the heroine. Ladybug catches the cloth, an incredulous look on her face. "A blankie? What am I supposed to do with this?" Taking a clearing breath, Ladybug surveys the fight below her. The final pieces of her plan start to fall together. She grins, victory in sight.

  
"Get his sword away from him!" Ladybug commands.

  
"On'tway isthay ipperyslay igpay ustjay ummonsay ityay againyay?" Cat Noir wonders.

  
Trying to translate his words causes a headache to pound above her eyes. "I've got a plan!"

  
Cat Noir shrugs and does as his lady says. The brown sword goes flying, the clatter causing the feline hero to flinch. Pig Latin turns his attention to calling it back. Ladybug takes advantage of this distraction, swinging in with the small blanket flapping wildly in her hand. Cat dodges out of the way when he sees Ladybug heading for them. Releasing her hold on her yo-yo, the heroine grabs the blankie with both hands and wraps it around Pig Latin's head as she flies past. A quick twist secures the makeshift blindfold in place. Cat Noir pries the villain's hand open to reveal the pen cap just as the sword reappears in the other.

  
Pig Latin swipes blindly with the sword. His wild blow is knocked aside easily by Cat's staff. Cat Noir grapples the blade from Pig Latin and caps it. The sword shrinks into a small but ornate pen.

  
"Cataclysm!" he yells, holding his free hand in the air. The pen crumbles away under Cat Noir's touch. A glowing purple-black butterfly appears from the ashes of the writing instrument.

  
Ladybug releases the now powerless villain. Twirling her yo-yo victorious, she tosses it to catch the retreating insect. "Time to de-evilise!" She brings the spotted disk back to her hand and opens it. A pure white butterfly comes out of it. As it flaps away, Ladybug bids it farewell.

  
"Pound it," the two heroes say in unison, the villain's affect on Cat gone along with his power. As if on cue, Ladybug's earrings beep. Three spots remain--she must have missed the first alert.

  
Already retreating, the spotted heroine calls, "Can you see to the victim, Cat Noir? I've gotta fly."

  
"Anything for you, my lady," he answers. Ladybug swings away.

  
Cat Noir stays watching her disappear until his ring warns him of his own timer. Pulling himself away, he makes his way to the akuma victim and kneels down next to him. "Do you know what happened to you?"

  
Évrard looks up at the hero with lost, wide eyes. "Did I-did I get akumatized?" Tears well up in his eyes as he remember what caused it.

  
Cat nods. "What's the matter?"

  
The brunet hesitates. Surely something as stupid as a failing grade wouldn't seem like a reason to become a villain to a hero like Cat Noir. But then again, the dark hero has faced plenty of more petty villains. "I-" he starts. "I failed a test. I tried really hard and I still failed. My parents just think I'm lazy."

  
Seeing the boy sobbing over such a simple thing pierces Cat's heart. He knows what it feels like to try your hardest only to be criticized by a parent. "Sometimes parents just don't understand. The only think you can do is try: try to talk to them, try to make them understand, try to get better at school. And if you ever need help--from a friend, from a tutor, from a teacher--don't be afraid to ask."

  
Évrard nods but continues to cry. Cat Noir sighs when his ring beeps once again. He gets up to leave but Évrard's words stop him. "Thank you, Cat Noir. And... can you thank Ladybug for me?"

  
Cat glances down at the boy. His eyes, though still wide and filled with tears, look a little less lost. "I will," he assures Évrard. "I hope things get better."

  
Turning away, Cat Noir runs and pushes off the ground with his baton. He disappears over the roof of a nearby building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fine, my lady. It just stings a little.  
> Won't that slippery pig just summon it again?


	5. Gabriel is a Slightly Less Than Terrible Father

Adrien slips into his room and shuts the window behind him before the last beep sounds on his ring and his transformation drops. Plagg moans about how hard he was worked, but pauses before taking a bite of his consolation cheese.

  
"You did good, kid. Whether or not your advice helps that boy out, you showed him someone believes him." Plagg's praise is punctuated by him scarfing the cheese and letting out a tiny burp.

  
Adrien laughs at his kwami's antics, touched by his words. "Thanks, Plagg."

  
The little cat opens his mouth to say something--probably chiding Adrien for being mushy or asking for more cheese--when a knock on the door sends him rushing for cover.

  
"Come in," the blond answers once he's sure Plagg's out of sight.

  
The door swings open to show Gabriel Agreste entering his son's room for the second time in two days. A new record. "Have you chosen a plus one yet?"

  
Straight to the point. Adrien sighs but quickly brightens. "Yes, actually. Do you remember Marinette?" Seeing his father's confused expression he hurries to explain, "She's the girl that won that hat competition at my school."

  
An odd expression passes over Gabriel's face as he remembers not only the competition, but the girl returning his book. It goes away so quickly that Adrien almost believes he imagined it.

  
"Would it be alright?" he asks.

  
Gabriel hesitates another few seconds. While impressed by her work, the book situation leaves him suspicious of the girl. Her excuse seemed to be just that. And if it's not, Gabriel doesn't know how to feel about letting Adrien go to an important event with a girl who had no trouble stealing from him. Still, the hopeful look on Adrien's face sways him slightly.

  
"It's fine," Gabriel finally concedes.

  
"Thank you, Father!" Adrien beams up at the older man.

  
Gabriel lets a small smile through as he turns out the door. "You're welcome, Adrien."


End file.
